London Stock Exchange (LSE) and Deutsche Boerse timeline: How "merger of equals" stumbled over Brexit, shareholder votes and criminal investigations before European Commission veto

I am City A.M.'s chief City reporter, mainly covering banks, Brexit, M&A and deals. I also cover media stories and enjoy interviewing big figures from the business world. I previously worked for Press Gazette and Mail Online.

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The London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Boerse agreed a £21bn merger in March 2016 (Source: Getty)

William Turvill

The London Stock Exchange-Deutsche Boerse merger was blocked by the European Commission today, more than 13 months after talks between the exchanges emerged. Here is the story of how the deal stumbled past the Brexit vote, shareholder votes, rival efforts to disrupt and political opposition before being blocked by the European Commission...

23 February 2016: It emerges that the LSE and Deutsche Boerse are in merger talks… again. Third time lucky?

16 March: LSE and Deutsche Boerse agree on a “merger of equals”. Deutsche Boerse shareholders get 54.4 per cent of stock; Deutsche Boerse chief executive takes charge of group; London gets the headquarters.

5 April: In City A.M. interview, Rolet fires warning shot at Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, which is threatening to gatecrash the deal with an LSE takeover offer.